Air traffic at Sweden’s Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport is set to resume after being halted for several hours on Thursday due to a drone sighting that triggered a police investigation into suspected aviation sabotage, authorities said.
The state-owned airport operator Swedavia confirmed late Thursday that police had declared the incident over and that flights would gradually restart through the night.
“Police have now informed us that the incident is over and we therefore plan to start traffic back up again,” Swedavia said in a message to Reuters.
Operations at the country’s second-largest airport were suspended around 1641 GMT after one or more drones were spotted in restricted airspace over the facility, located on Sweden’s west coast.
The closure forced the cancellation or rerouting of more than a dozen flights.
“We have launched an investigation into suspected aviation sabotage,” a police spokesperson said, adding that no arrests had been made and that the identity of the drone operator remains unknown.
The disruption comes amid a series of drone-related incidents across Europe in recent months that have sparked security concerns and prompted speculation of possible foreign interference.
Several officials in Sweden and other European nations have suggested that such incidents could be part of “hybrid warfare” tactics, potentially linked to Russia, a claim Moscow has repeatedly denied.
Earlier this week, airports and a military air base in Belgium were temporarily shut down after coordinated drone sightings, while Denmark and Norway experienced similar disruptions in September.
Norwegian police later dropped their investigation, citing a lack of evidence confirming drone activity.
Swedish authorities have increased surveillance and airspace monitoring in response to the recent spate of incidents, warning that unauthorized drones pose serious safety and national security risks.
Despite Thursday’s scare, officials said Gothenburg-Landvetter is expected to return to normal operations by Friday morning, though travelers were urged to check with airlines for updated flight information.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
